Blizzard is one of the top game developers/publishers in the world, especially after their somewhat recent merger with Activision. Blizzard has been responsible for multiple franchises that have had massive effects on their genres and the entire landscape of gaming.

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That's why we wanted to see what games made by them are considered the best. For this list, Metacritic was used, utilizing the Metascore that is given by the game critics, as opposed to the user score that is given by the more general public.

Updated on January 18th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Blizzard had made a name for itself in the gaming world thanks to its great RTS titles like Warcraft and Starcraft but many would be shocked by how much the company has grown in recent decades. From a developer that focused heavily on real-time strategy games to the owner and operator of perhaps the most successful MMORPG of our time, Blizzard has continued to innovate and try new genres as time has gone on. Now that they have been acquired by Microsoft, gamers are eager to see what new and exciting games the company can produce, as well as what's in store for titles like Overwatch. To better celebrate Blizzard's lineup of games, the following list has been updated to include even more entries.

15 Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm (86)

Heart of the Swarm Kerrigan

Starcraft II was already capturing the hearts of fans before Blizzard started rolling out the expansions but there was something extra special about Heart of the Swarm. In terms of Metascore, Heart of the Swarm actually finds itself at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to add-ons for Starcraft II. That said, there are some out there that would argue that this particular release helped elevate Starcraft II more than the others, introducing players to an interesting new villain with a decent single-player campaign.

Where Heart of the Swarm really shines, though, is the update that was given to the multiplayer aspect of the game. Upgrades gave players the ability to enjoy the competitive side of Starcraft II much more.

14 Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls (87)

Diablo III had its fair share of controversy and issues when it first launched to the general public but that doesn't mean it wasn't a beloved title in its own right. Reaper of Souls marked a new expansion for the title, hoping to give players more content for the middling release. Thankfully, developers knocked it out of the park with the expansion, releasing a title that had no issues, tons of content, and hours of additional fun for dedicated fans.

There are some that would have liked for the campaign to be a bit longer, but the expansion definitely helped to erase some of the scars left by a less-than-stellar original launch.

13 Starcraft (88)

This is easily one of the greatest RTS franchises of all time, which goes to show the quality Blizzard is known for. The original Starcraft was released on March 31, 1998, in North America and was an instant classic. The game's expansion, Starcraft: Brood War, added new features and continued the game's story.

Fans were then forced to wait until 2010 to receive a fully-fledged sequel, but we will get into that game in a bit. The original version of Starcraft currently has a 88 percent rating on Metacritic.

12 Starcraft II: Legacy Of The Void (88)

Starcraft II had some big shoes to fill, with the original Starcraft having cemented itself as one of the best RTS experiences ever created. Fans were already loving the adventures of the Terran, Zerg, and Protoss, and Starcraft II aimed to continue this epic struggle well into the future. Enter Legacy of the Void which puts a heavy focus on the Protoss, giving players access to an array of new units, heroes, and locations.

Although players could find a lot of enjoyment and competition in the multiplayer modes available, Starcraft II's continuation of the single-player campaign helped build a lot of great lore for the franchise.

11 Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (88)

Starcraft wasn't the only successful RTS franchise in Blizzard's corner. In fact, many could argue that World of Warcraft is the superior RTS experience considering it inspired a full-blown MMORPG that stands the test of time as one of the greatest games ever created for the genre. By the release of The Frozen Throne, players were already fully immersed in Warcraft III and enjoying its amazing gameplay and engrossing storyline.

The Frozen Throne was set to add a bit more content to the already expansive game but actually managed to steal the show as perhaps the best part of the Warcraft III saga. This expansion pack is held in some of the highest regards by Blizzard fans.

10 Diablo II (88)

Diablo 2

Diablo was considered by many to be one of the greatest games that Blizzard Entertainment ever created, so there were high hopes and additional scrutiny from the gaming world about what Diablo II could offer. It's always difficult to produce a sequel to a highly beloved piece of entertainment because developers are always going to feel like they're chasing perfection.

Thankfully, Diablo II turned out to be an absolute smash success and although it carries an 88 Metascore on Metacritic there are many players out there that would argue that Diablo II does so much more than its predecessor. It's entirely possible that Diablo II is the more beloved game out of the two and its development helped skyrocket the popularity of the ARPG, giving birth to a franchise that still stands strong to this day.

9 Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition (90)

Despite the massive amount of controversy that Diablo III received during the time of its release, due to the game's implementation of always-online DRM, the game itself is was still well-received.

This DRM lock didn't work for the vast majority of players on launch day, locking them out of the game for no reason. When players were eventually able to access the game, it was a great experience. Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition currently has a 90 percent rating on Metacritic.

8 World Of Warcraft: Cataclysm (90)

The third expansion set for the world's largest MMORPG is the first one we are going to talk about on this list, but definitely not the last.

This is the expansion set that really changed a lot of things about World of Warcraft, making many physical changes to the already existent game world, instead of just adding new regions and other things like the game's previous expansion. This expansion of World of Warcraft currently has a 90 percent on Metacritic.

7 World Of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (91)

Continuing on our World of Warcraft train with the game's very first expansion, The Burning Crusade. This expansion was released all the way back in 2007, three years after the release of the game's original vanilla version. the expansion added two new races, one for each faction.

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The Alliance received the Draenei, and the Blood Elves for the Horde, both of which were last seen in Warcraft III. This expansion currently has a 91 percent on Metacritic.

6 Overwatch (91)

Blizzard's most recent IP earns its place as the developer's sixth-best game of all time, according to Metacritic. Overwatch was released on May 24, 2016, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a Nintendo Switch version being released in late 2019.

The game was flooded with both critical and commercial acclaim upon its release and has been supported with new maps and characters for its entire lifespan so far. The game currently has a 91 percent on Metacritic.

5 World Of Warcraft: Wrath Of The Lich King (91)

The final entry for World of Warcraft on this list, but not the last for the Warcraft franchise, is the game's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. This expansion set was released on November 13, 2008, and sold 2.8 million copies on its launch day alone.

The expansion focussed around Arthas, a former prince turned into the Lich King, a fan favorite that players didn't know much about after Warcraft III. The expansion currently has a 91 on Metacritic.

4 Warcraft III: Reign Of Chaos (92)

Sticking with the Warcraft franchise, we go back to the series' RTS roots with arguably one of the most influential RTS games of all time, Warcraft III. Despite the game having a pretty terrible remaster released recently, the original game still has its soul.

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This is the game that turned many people to the Warcraft franchise and universe and it's safe to say that without this game WOW wouldn't be a thing. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos currently has a 92 on Metacritic.

3 Hearthstone: Heroes Of Warcraft (88)

Our last entry relating to the Warcraft universe is the newest and most unique IP within the franchise. Hearthstone was released on March 11, 2014, for both Mac and Windows and was a huge success for Blizzard.

The game was critically received and due to its payment model made a ton of money. The game was later ported to mobile for both Android and IOS in 2014. The game has also managed to amass a massive amount of attention in esports. The game currently has a 93 on Metacritic.

2 Starcraft II: Wings Of Liberty (93)

Our second-place entry is the long-awaited sequel to the original Starcraft. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty was released on July 27, 2010, 12 years after the release of the original Starcraft. The games' campaign focused on the terrain campaign, with the game's subsequent two expansions each focusing o the other two races.

This game was a solid continuation of the story and made solid additions, while still keeping to the feeling of its predecessor. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty currently has a 93 on Metacritic.

1 Diablo (94)

For the number one entry on this list, we have to go all the way back to December 31, 1996, with the release of the original, OG, DRM-free Diablo. Nostalgia might be influencing this judgment, possibly, but nostalgia can't make up for this still being considered the best game that Blizzard has ever made.

This game started off a series that to this day is still one of Blizzard's top franchises critically and financially. This game currently has a 94 percent rating on Metacritic.

Next: The 5 Best & 5 Worst Free To Play MMORPGs (According To Metacritic)